Harry Styles
Harry Styles is a British singer, songwriter, and actor who rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction. After the group went on hiatus in 2016, he launched a successful solo career spanning multiple genres.
Early Life
Harry Edward Styles was born on February 1, 1994, in Redditch, Worcestershire, England. He grew up primarily in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, where he attended Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School. From an early age, he demonstrated an interest in music, citing Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Shania Twain among his early influences.
Career with One Direction
In 2010, Styles auditioned as a solo contestant on the British television competition The X Factor. After being eliminated as a solo act, he was grouped with four other contestants — Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson — to form One Direction. The group finished in third place but was subsequently signed to Simon Cowell's record label Syco Records. One Direction released five studio albums between 2011 and 2015, achieving considerable commercial success worldwide. The group went on an indefinite hiatus in January 2016.
Solo Music Career
Styles signed with Columbia Records and released his self-titled debut solo album in May 2017. The album debuted at number one in both the United Kingdom and the United States and featured the lead single "Sign of the Times," which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. His second studio album, Fine Line, was released in December 2019 and also debuted at number one in the United States. It included the single "Watermelon Sugar," which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance in 2021. His third album, Harry's House, was released in May 2022 and debuted at number one in multiple countries. The album earned him the Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammy Awards, making him one of a small number of artists to win the award within the first decade of their solo career.
Acting Career
Styles made his feature film acting debut in Christopher Nolan's 2017 war film Dunkirk, in which he played the role of British soldier Alex. He subsequently appeared in Olivia Wilde's psychological thriller Don't Worry Darling (2022) and the romantic drama My Policeman (2022), the latter based on Bethan Roberts's novel of the same name.
Tours and Live Performances
Styles has undertaken several major concert tours. His Love On Tour, which ran from 2021 to 2023, became one of the highest-grossing concert tours in history, spanning multiple continents and selling millions of tickets. The tour was extended multiple times due to high demand.
Philanthropy and Public Life
Styles has been publicly associated with various charitable causes, including support for LGBTQ+ rights. He has made donations to food banks and other community organizations. He is also known for his distinctive approach to fashion, having appeared on the covers of major publications and collaborated with fashion brands. In 2019, he became the first solo male cover star of Vogue magazine's American edition.
Discography Highlights
His three solo studio albums — Harry Styles (2017), Fine Line (2019), and Harry's House (2022) — have all debuted at number one in the United States, making him one of few artists to achieve this with their first three studio albums.